Electric sign



- Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. LONG, OE MULTNOMAH, OREGON.

ELECTRIC SIGN.

Application filed June 7,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. Lone, a citizen of the United States, residing at Multnomah, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon,.have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric bigns, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to electric display signs as a class.

The object of my invention is to provide an electric sign wherein there is a perforated tape passing below a mercury terminal, the tape functioning as a circuit controller in a manner to cause electric lamps in a bank thereof to display lights in the form of characters and designs, and to produce such serially. Also comprising a common plate lamp terminal with split apertures for threaded sockets. These objects, as well as other advantages, I attain by the construction, combination and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying' drawings which form a part hereof.

Fig. I is a front elevation of light frame and sectional elevation of the mercury bath terminal and related parts of the mechanism.

Fig. II is an enlarged cross-section of the mercury terminal and adjacent parts on the line IIII of Fig. III.

Fig. III is a toptplan view of the mercury bath terminal and tape guide grid.

Fig. IV is an'enlarged side elevation of the tape guide grid with parts broken away.

Fig. V is a sectional elevation of a portion of the lamp terminal plate showing thread means for lamp sockets and connections.

.Fig. VI is a plan view of a part of the terminal socket plate.

Fig. VII is a plan view of a portion of the tape circuit control. 1 i

Like characters refer to like parts in all views.

A frame 8 of insulating material and of convenient form and size is provided for the lamp display. The frame may be set up in any place where its illuminated display is desired to be exhibited. Upon the rear of the frame 8 a common terminal and socket plate 9, preferably of copper, is rigidly secured. A bank of socket apertures 10 is arranged with the sockets in quadrilateral ositions. Adjacent to each socket the plate is slightly split and the split parts bent tacts 25.

1923. Serial No. 643,971.

outwardly from the plate in opposite direc tions to form thread cars 11. To the rear of the plate 9 and conveniently spaced therefrom, is a back-board 12 of non-conducting material, rigidly secured and provided with apertures 13 oppositely disposed to the plate sockets 10. Electric lamps 14, of a common type, having a circular threaded terminal 15 and an end terminal 16 are screwed into the sockets lO until their end terminals 16 extend through the back-board 12. A wire contact metallic plate 17 is secured upon the rear of the back-board over the aperture 13 to receive the lamp terminal 16 in engagement A conducting wire 18 has one end integrally secured to the plate 17. The same arrangement prevails with the entire series oflamps and wires. A conducting wire 19 has one end integrally secured to the plate 9 and ext-ends therefrom to an integral connection with one terminal 20 of an electrical Qattery 21.

Below the lamp display part of the apparatus a quadrilateral trough formed receptacle 22 of insulating material is horizontally secured upon standards 23 in rigid position. The bottom of the receptacle 22 has apertures 24 arranged in positions related to the lamp terminals 16. The wires 18 leading from the respective lamp terminals 16 extend to and through the related apertures 24 until the opposite ends are flush with the upper surface of the receptacle bottom, and are rigidly secured in this position so that the ends form electrical con- A perforated tape 26, the width of the receptacle 22 and of non-conducting material, extends in sliding engagement therein over the bottom and outwardly at the opposing ends. The tape has perforations 27 arranged in characters or designs, as for example those illustrated at 28, and in relation to the wire contacts 25 and lamps 14. A grid 29 with rollers 30 at each end is superimposed on the tape 26 and is adjusted by means of clamp bars 31-, having securing means 32. The receptacle bottom has grooves 33 at each end, within which the rollers 30 are received. The grid is adjusted to a position which will allow the.

tape to slide freely between it and snugly over the receptacle bottom and below the rollers 30 in-contact with the same, upwardly and over rollers 34, positioned transversely on the opposing ends of the receptacle 22. The tape then extends downwardly about two opposing rollers 3535 positioned in a horizontal plane below the receptacle. The tape is a continuous strip. A convenient and suitable powermechanism 36, having power transmitting means to the roller 35 is provided. Within the receptacle 22 is placed a mercury bath 37 which rests upon the tape, retained there by the receptacle walls. The mercury can only engage the contacts 25 of the wires 18 through the perforations 27 of the tape as it i drawn below the bath. A conducting wire 38 has one end integrally connected with the opposing terminal 39 of the battery 21. The opposite end of the wire 38 is pendent in the mercury 37, thus making the mercury the terminal completing the lamp circuits as illustrated.

It will now be apparent that the tape is first perforated with desired characters or designs arranged in a manner to allow the mercury to engage predetermined contacts 25 below the tape and thus complete related circuits, within which are related lamps arranged to re rod-uce in illuminated form, the design outlined by the tape perforations. It will also be apparent. that as the tape progresses through the receptacle, the circuits are closed as soon as the mercurycontacts are formed and the entire design is displayed by the lamps in illuminated form when the section of tape comprising the same is wholly below the mercury. In the same manner the design lamps are progressively extinguished as the last perforations in such section pass beyond the receiving end of the receptacle and the unperforated portions of the tape function as a circuit breaker between the mercury and the contacts 25. The grid acts as a gu de to retain the tape closely in sliding engagement over the receptacle bottom. As many designs as the tape space permits may be shown consecutively by the continuous tape, which is drawn along in the manner described by some suitable motive mechanism. The arrangement of the common terminal plate does away with a mass of circuit part wires which would otherwise be required to conmeet the lamp terminals 15 separately with the battery terminal 20. The split ears next the plate sockets form a simple and efiicient means to secure the lamps in the sockets and insure the connections. It will also be seen that, the only movable part in the entire apparatus is the tape circuit control carrying the designs hence when set up there should be nothing to get out of order. The movement of the tape is very light and easy. The mercury adjusts itself for connections without disturbance to any other parts, and the wires remain fast with good contacts. The tape constitutes a mostpractical circuit controlling means and the apparatus in a model has been demonstrated to function the margin of the tape to close all the design lamp circuits when the section is wholly within the receptacle. This would operate as a master control for circuit breakin and closing. The device is comparatively simple in construction, can be cheaply manufactured, and is essentially new and useful.

Y I claim- 1. In an electric sign, a receptacle of insulating material having a horizontal b0ttom, conducting wires extending through the receptacle, their ends forming terminals flush with the inner bottom surface of the receptacle, a bath of electrically conducting liquid in the receptacle, and a tape of nonconducting material adapted to be drawn in sliding engagement over the bottom surface of the receptacle and over said wire terminals, the tape having a plurality of apertures therein arranged to allow the circuit between the wire terminals and liquid terminal to be closed as the apertures register with the wire terminals and the circuit to be broken -as' the apertures are drawn from registry, the apertures being arranged in a predetermined manner with relation to each other for said purpose.

2. In an electric-sign, a receptacle of in sulating material having a horizontal bottom, conducting wires extending through the receptacle, their ends forming terminals flush with the inner bottom surface of the receptacle, a bath of electrically conducting liquid in the receptacle, a tape of nonconducting material adapted to be drawn in sliding engagement over the bottom surface of the receptacle and over said Wire terminals, the tape having a plurality of apertures therein arranged to allow the circuit between the wire terminals and liquid terminal ,to be closed as the apertures register with the wire terminals and the circuit to be broken as the apertures are drawn from registry, the apertures being arranged in a predetermined manner with relation to each other for said purpose, and a grid, adjustable to and securable in a position parallel with the receptacle bottom above said tape for its sliding engagement with the grid and to allow the tape to be drawn over the wire terminals as mentioned.

3. In an electric sign, a receptacle of insulating material having a horizontal bottom, conducting Wires extending through the receptacle, their ends forming terminals flush with the inner bottom surface of the 125 receptacle, a bath of electrically conducting liquid in the receptacle, a tape of non-' conducting material adapted to be drawn in sliding engagement over the bottom surface of the receptacle and over said wire terminals, the tape having a plurality of apertures therein arranged to allow the circuit between the wire terminals and liquid terminal to be closed as the apertures register with the wire terminals and the circuit to be broken as the apertures are drawn from registry, the apertures being arranged in a predetermined manner with relation to each other for said purpose, a grid, adjustable to and securable in a position parallel with the receptacle bottom above said tape for its sliding engagement with the grid and to allow the tape to be drawn over the Wire terminals as mentioned, and mechanism arranged and adapted to draw said tape through the.- receptacle along said course described and for the purpose mentioned.

4. In an electric sign, a receptacle of insulating material having a horizontal bottom, conducting wires extending through the receptacle, their ends forming terminals &

flush with the inner bottom surface of the receptacle, a bath of electrically conducting liquid in the receptacle, a battery cell, a conducting wire extending from said liquid to one terminal of said cell, a second wire extending from the opposing terminal of the cellto an intermediate connection with the opposing terminals of said receptacle wires, and .a tape of non-conducting material adapted to be drawn in sliding engagement over the bottom surface of the receptacle and over said wire terminals. the tape having -a' plurality of apertures therein arranged to allow the circuit between the wire terminals and liquid terminal to be closed as the apertures register with the wire terminals and the circuit to be broken as the apertures are drawn from registry, the apertures being arranged in a predetermined manner with relation to eachother for said purpose.

JOHN E. LONG. 

